Local solar panel industry faces uneven competition

Local solar panel producers face uneven competition from imported products as government’s tax policies reportedly favour the foreign companies, local industry sources said. They said the discriminatory policies go against the government’s mega plan to generate 500 MW of electricity from solar energy by 2015. Local manufacturers, encouraged by the government to make solar panels as alternative green energy, are getting frustrated because of the discrimination, the sources said. They said some of the local the manufacturing plants face closure because of the government's alleged bias towards imported foreign products. "Our objective was to support the government's programme to implement its 500 MW solar power production by 2015. Unfortunately, we are getting ignored by the policymakers even after having international certification", said Munawar Moin, Vice President of Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association, according to a news agency.